Hi everyone

MrFootballMan

MrFootballMan

Just signed up having browsed the forum for a few days, looks like it will be very useful and you all seem a decent enough bunch ;)

I'm a total newbie to the whole filmmaking scene but looking to get started working hard as soon as I possibly can.

I'm working with a friend writing a screenplay for my first film directing, and the time between its completion is hopefully the time I cram in as much info as I can from books and a few local courses, as well as messing about with a camera of course.

Look forward to reading some of the threads and hopefully getting a bit of help now and again

Cheers

Chris :)
 
Welcome MrFootball!

The only thing I can offer right now is that I suggest you start small and work up to a feature. Learn by doing. At least that's the way I like to do things.
 
Projects:
1) less than 5 minutes, tell a defined story.
2) about 5 minutes, tell a defined scripted story.
3) 10-15 minutes, same as #2, with better lighting
4) same as #3 with some camera motion and better angles, might want to start story boarding here.
5) same as #4 with better audio

from here, move up to longer pieces as you now have all the building blocks. Learn to get coverage (master shot, singles of each actor), work the scenes more complex as you go along. Start with simple blocking and work your way up. each piece should build off the last and toward the next in structure. Find a style of production that works for you and your posse of film folk. Each new piece should introduce a new layer of complexity that will become part of your tool box, learn something new everyday. Play with the lighting early on (screw continuity for now, you're learning).

And most importantly, have fun and ask lots of questions, even if you think they are stupid ones!

<edit>How much do they charge for film school? I could make a mint!</edit>
 
Hey Mr.Football-man.
You'll like this place- aside from the loads of people/resources, you can pick your own color scheme!! WAHOO!
(I'm traditionally the village idiot...well... I must be here ever since some guy named "funches" left...)

Welcome to Indietalk.
 
haha, yeah I'll be a regular without a doubt.

Just been a bit busy over New Year, or Hogmanay as its called here. Just needed a day to recoever :D

I'm generally a jump right in and get your feet dirty type of person, but I do intend on making a short film pretty soon. I already know what I am going to do and luckily it won't cost me very much as it will be on a basic camcorder. I just want to put the practicalities of frame composition, lighting etc into place. I'll probably post it on here when I get it done, just don't expect too much :D

After that I'll probably keep messing about with simple things as suggested by Knightly(cheers for that by the way, very useful) whilst I continue writing my first script. I'm not the best writer but I'll have to do it mself for now.

Cheers
 
Personally, I'm finding that technical prowess is the least of your worries. Telling a story effectively with the footage you get is much more difficult. So the roadmap I've posted focusses on adding layers of complexity to the story telling. The story telling should be the primary focus throughout. What looks great in a script doesn't necessarily translate directly to the screen when all is said and done. We're cutting tons of dialog and opting to use our footage to show the story rather than tell it. We are easily losing about 15-30 mins of the movie I'm shooting to this, so my estimated 60-90 minute movie will be closer to the 60 minute mark (which just lets it slide in as a short feature or a long short - this would be about 3 hour program on commercial tv ;) ).
 
Welcome ... this is a good forum and I think knightly's right, there is something new to learn every day. I think that why I keep on doing this film making thing.

If Spatula is the forum's viallge idiot, then I guess I'm the grumpy old fart.

Enjoy
 
Agreed Knightly, I'm not really someone who gets bogged down by technical aspects of anything, but I do want to learn the basics just so I can look like I know what I am talking about, as I am not naturally the most technical person despite having a computer systems degree.

I prefer to look into the details of the story, as I absolutely love hearing and telling stories, hence why I read so much. I think If I had to be brutally honest, one of my biggest weaknesses is knowing within myself what I want to say but being unable to put it down on paper, as I have always been a visual person. Thats what I consider as being one of the biggest hurdles I have to overcome if I want to make good films.

Even if it means finding a writing partner, then so be it, but I really need to work out how I will overcome that problem first and foremost before I start worrying about the other aspects.

I intend on making my first films to learn first and foremost, and then hopefully find someone somewhere that I can work with to get my vision on paper.

I've read all the technical books thanks to my local library, some of them have been intriguing despite me not being overly technical, but the fundamental stories are what hook me on the idea and start me visualising.
 
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